Northampton DPW crews paint city's 'rainbow crosswalk'

NORTHAMPTON — The first splashes of red paint for the city's "rainbow crosswalk" hit the pavement just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, minutes before the sun broke through a morning shower and a faint actual rainbow spread across the sky over the downtown area.

The project is the brainchild of Melinda Shaw, the former executive director of Noho Pride. Shaw drew her inspiration from similar crosswalks in other cities, including Vancouver, British Columbia.

Shaw had hoped to work with the city to complete the project in time for the annual LGBT Parade and Pride Event, scheduled this year for May 3. And, by late afternoon Tuesday, several days ahead of the parade, mayor David Narkewicz announced via his Twitter account that the project was complete:

The $1,600 cost of the paint for the project was paid for through private donations. The Department of Public Works did not charge Shaw for labor.

City officials addressed federal safety standards calling for white or yellow crosswalk stripes by requiring a design in which the rainbow colors alternated with standard white crosswalk stripes.

Each stripe measures three feet wide by 16 feet long.

"If it's out of the ordinary, we feel it's good because drivers will notice it," Planning Director Wayne Feiden told The Republican in an interview earlier this month. "If it's too out of the ordinary, it could be a distraction and result in crashes."